NEWS FROM ACROSS CALIFORNIA

MAN GUILTY IN RUSSIAN ROULETTE KILLING: FRESNO (AP) — A Central California man has been convicted of killing his friend playing a version of Russian roulette.

Jurors found 22-year-old Terrance Tyrone Lee guilty of second-degree murder in the September 2012 death of 18-year-old high school student Marquis Sutton.

At trial, Deputy District Attorney Stephanie Savrnoch said a group four men was playing video games in an apartment when Lee pulled out a revolver and emptied all but one bullet.

Savrnoch says the chamber was empty the first time Lee pointed the gun at Sutton’s chest and pulled the trigger.

But on the second time, she says, Lee shot Sutton in the neck, killing him.

Defense attorneys argued that Lee didn’t understand the consequences of his actions or mean to kill Sutton.

BILL ALLOWS COUNTING OF LATE VOTE-BY-MAIL BALLOTS: SACRAMENTO (AP) — The state Assembly has approved a bill allowing elections officials to count ballots that are received up to three days after an election, even though it does not require a postmark.

SB29 passed Monday on a 49-20 vote over the objections of Republican lawmakers who said it could promote voter fraud.

The legislation by Democratic Sen. Lou Correa of Anaheim does not require that late ballots bear postmarks. A voter signature dated before Election Day would suffice.

Supporters say the legislation would ensure that all voices are heard at the ballot box. Correa’s office says 26,000 vote-by-mail ballots arrived too late to be counted in the November 2010 election.

GOVERNOR BROWN WELCOMES MEXICAN PRESIDENT: LOS ANGELES (AP) — Gov. Jerry Brown has welcomed the Mexican president to California by reminding him of the cultural and historical ties shared by the two places.

Brown addressed President Enrique Pena Nieto before a friendly crowd Monday in Los Angeles during a speech that played up his immigrant-friendly credentials.

Brown says it wasn’t long ago that another governor had outlawed driver’s licenses for people in the country illegally from Mexico. He signed a bill into law that will allow immigrants to get a driver’s license next year.

Pena Nieto didn’t single out any state by name, but he called out unethical governors who had cracked down on immigration.

Brown says Mexico and California are united for a better future. He spoke of the deep past the two places shared and how California was invested in teaching English to Spanish-speaking students.